53 — An Old Flower

Right out of the hot word docs comes a chapter!! Managed this one somehow, phew. I have no idea what I wrote, but it should be something. Also, the chapter is exactly 2,222 words and I really don't want to edit it and ruin that now

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“What’s wrong lass? What’d you see?” Jennifer heard her master speak as the message began to fade.

Jennifer paused, pursing her lips as she stared at her master. The glow of the appraisal ring had faded leaving only the description on her mark in front of her eyes.

“I think I hear a voice,” she said, feeling slightly unsure. “A voice with a system message accompanying it. It said… Beware my Chosen. The trial awaits.”

<Xar heard a voice too, it told Xar of the not-voice from the Dungeon and something about a new path!> Xar exclaimed cheerfully.

“The spell worked, I saw the appraisal come up, with some new stuff mixed in there with Xar and my Mark’s fusion but then, it also sent a message. And I heard someone speak,” she told her master.

“A message, from the mark itself ye say? Beware my chosen… the mark’s chosen. The calamity in the dungeon, the invasion and the dungeon break. Why’d the appraisal ring get a response from both yer marks though?” Her master asked, as he mulled over what’d happened.

“The appraisal mentions the Old Order of Truth in it. And from what I recall, Viel had said, the aim of the Delve had been the library of Truth as well. There’s also the soul of Alphion that it mentions. Says it holds the soul of Alphion. Do you think…?” Jennifer turned towards her master, trailing off. A trapped soul within a magically bound mark would be delving deep into the territory of forbidden magic.

“I can’t say lass, perhaps there’s a soul in yer mark, alongside yer friend’s as well, if we are to go by what he heard. The magic in there’s untouchable by me. I doubt even a level 50 mage might not be capable of breaching it. Time itself being undone, it's the magic of legends, put right in front of our eyes,” her master said, breathing out. She could feel the tense anticipation emanating from him.

“I know someone who’s likely to know more Master, I think you do too,”  Jennifer said, as her master nodded.

“The prince eh? I’ll be straight with you, I don’t trust the Royals. Too many masks, and ye can never tell what’s real and what ain’t. But the lad’s your only real way of gaining more knowledge, as far as I can tell.”

Jennifer nodded. With her soul crack, their fused marks, the calamity and the blood ritual all around Lienmont, she needed someone who could actually move people if need be.

“Do you think I should head to the guild once more?” Jennifer asked her master. Perhaps with Xar, she could avoid or even try to find who the Demon was hiding as.

“And get yerself killed for good? Did ye really learn nothing lass? The demon can clearly capture ye and do damage directly to yer soul. We don’t know what happened to it with the last invasion either,” her master replied, shaking his head.

“Ye need strength lass. I’ll be setting some gear up for ye here, and looking into things on my own. Head on to yer academy and reach out to Nathaniel, we’ll meet up and see if  there’s anything to be done,” her master said, and Jennifer nodded in acknowledgement.

<Academy! Xar wants to go too!> Xar exclaimed cheerfully and Jennifer smiled.

“Well, I don’t see a point in waiting. Should probably just head on there and try to find Nathaniel,” Jennifer replied.

“Aye lass, take care. I need to look into yer skills, make an armor, check for soul magic… by Elphion’s twisted name, you sure brought a lot of work around. I wonder who’s the master here sometimes,” her master said with a chuckle waving her away.

Jennifer shook her head at her master’s words, amused.

“I’ll be preparing some things for yer skills as well. There’s a lot more to yer glass than ye realise. And [Resonant Mana Runes] is a skill I’m deeply familiar with. It’s about time I taught ye some of the more complicated stuff,” her master said.

“Now get going lass, yer late!” he shouted at her, and Jennifer laughed as she began to head outside.

<I’ll let you know like this, if I need your help> She sent back, with Xar’s assistance. She’d be able to contact her master if need be.

Just one more place to visit before I do that.

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<Hello! My name/call/sound is Xardhviladrothic! The greatest spider from dungeon-home!> Xar exclaimed to the surprise of a red haired girl who’d calmly been sitting in her shop.

Jennifer laughed as she saw Rumina jump in surprise, her eyes narrowing instantly as a small dagger came out in her hands. The girl’s posture relaxed considerably as she saw Jennifer, before her eyes widened once more.

“Jennifer! Wh-what happened to your hair? And what was that sound?” Rumina asked. As her eyes darted around, trying to find something.

“That’s the first thing you say when you see me?” Jennifer asked with a mock hurt expression and she saw Rumina stare at her in confusion.

“Wha- By Sera I- Congrats Jennifer on getting accepted!” the girl said, jumping as she hugged her and spun her around in circles.

<Xar feels dizzy>

Xar exclaimed, and she could sense he was tempted to knock Rumina back to have her stop. Jennifer smiled as she hugged her friend back.

“Thank you Rumina, there’s a lot that I have to tell you. About the hair, but much more than that as well,” Jennifer said, her mind drifting to the form of her friend, standing above her in a dark room, as her soul tore itself apart.

“Oh, did you get selected as the new [Archmage of Amazing] as well?” Rumina asked cheerfully and Jennifer smiled.

Maybe that’d be less surprising.

“I’ll tell you, but not here. I need something to dye my hair back though. Can we go to your home?” Jennifer asked, as she nudged Xar to have a look around the shop. She sensed no demons nearby, but a pair of ravens sat outside the building, and Jennifer wondered if her suspicions were true afterall.

“You sound serious, did something go wrong?” Rumina asked, as the jovial tone from her voice started to fade.

“No, yes, well, let’s go to your place first,” Jennifer said, and Rumina nodded.

“Fine, alright. I do have something we can use to dye your hair with, it’s in back in my room so that works out I guess,” Rumina said, as she took out a small slip of paper/

She scribbled something on it, and left a note for the shop owner and a message as the two began to head towards her friend’s home.

Xar kept an eye out for any strange presence lurking nearby and Jennifer kept her [Enhanced Mana Sense] sharpened as they made their way, and Jennifer soon spotted the familiar home of her friend.

“Sister! You’re back already? Oh,” Sophie paused as her eyes shifted towards Jennifer.

“Jennifer?” she asked, and Jenn smiled.

“Hey Sophie, it’s been a while,” Jennifer said to the little girl.

“But you were here last week?” the little girl asked, confused.

I feel like I’ve had this conversation before.

<Xar remembers from shared memories. Jennifer had this conversation when she escaped from her room to meet her friend> Xar added helpfully.

“Anyways, head on Sophie, I have something important to talk about with Jenn, don’t cause too much trouble okay?” Rumina said, as Sophie ran back inside her home.

“Anyways, come on in. Mom should be out today so Sophie’s been home alone, I think it’s good that I got an excuse to come back early for her,” Rumina said, and Jennifer nodded.

“My room then?” Rumina asked, closing the door behind her.

“Your room, yeah,” Jennifer said, looking around her friend’s home. It’d been months, months in the time since she’d gained her mark. It felt strange to be here after all this time. The two walked up, and into Rumina’s room, Jennifer following behind her friend.

“Okay, what is it? You’re making me nervous with that expression Jenn!” Rumina exclaimed, punching her shoulder lightly.

“Alright, alright. So, well, first of all, this is Xar,” Jennifer said, holding her hand out as Xar walked down from her shoulder and onto her palm.

<Hello! I’m Xar!> Xar sent to Rumina as the girl stared blankly at the little spider.

<You’ll see something now Rumina, don’t panic> Jennifer sent to her friend and she cued Xar to share their memories.

A wave poured forth from their marks as Jennifer closed her eyes, going through the many many memories of the last five months.

Their marks pulsed as one, as she sensed Rumina’s mind, next to her, and reached out for it, taking it through the months she’d lived through.

A few moments passed, as Jennifer felt a quiet pulse of pain run through her soul, as she paused at her encounters with the Demon. The crack serving as a reminder of her carelessness and of the ever present enemy she had to fight.

“Jennifer- I- I can’t,” she heard of her friend mutter and Jennifer rushed ahead, grabbing Rumina as the link cut off, her friend falling.

“What was… that. What was all of that. That feeling. Those eyes. Me? I was there, and you. It burned so much and I-” Rumina muttered, and Jennifer hugged her friend.

Maybe I over did this. Not everyone can handle things as well as Master did.

“I’m sorry Rumina. I seem to have rushed it. That was me. All of that was me. Months. I’ve been living that hell for months now, and it’s finally starting to get better. I wanted to show you this for so long. It burns inside me, all this time, all these memories. You didn’t remember any of it.”

Jennifer felt her voice tense, the memories hounding her as she lived through them once more. “Is that… what dying is like? That was… dark. Empty. Cold. It was… horrible. I- how are you so okay? I can’t—” her friend’s voice broke, and Jennifer sat Rumina down on the nearby bed, sitting next to her.

“You get used to it. When things worse than death happen, dying becomes the easier alternative. If I can save people like that, then it was an easy choice to make,” Jennifer muttered.

<Jennifer is strong> Xar spoke up on her behalf, and she sensed pride coming from him.

“I died as well didn’t I? That demon… It was me. I was there. I stabbed you,” Rumina said, her voice numb.

“No it wasn’t. None of it was you. It wore your skin to hide the monster it was. You have nothing to blame yourself for. I-I should’ve been stronger. I lost you Rumina. I lost you that day, I lost you that month. And I just- I’m sorry,” Jennifer muttered as she saw tears pool in her friend’s eyes.

“But it’s alright now. And now you know. We need to save everyone, Rumina. Everyone. Me you, master, everyone in the city. The end is far worse than anyone had ever thought. I need to be stronger,” Jennifer said, her voice resolved.

<Xar will help>

She saw Rumina’s eyes shift to Xar, who’d climbed back on her shoulder.

Jennifer stared at her friend, as a question began to rise in her mind. The words of the demon playing in her mind.

“Do you still have the flower Rumina?” Jennifer asked and she saw her friend pause, before she returned a quiet nod.

“I do. It’s in one of my drawers,” Rumina replied, as she got up. Her friend walked over, opening a dusty closet in one corner of the room, as she pulled out a small flower, preserved by a rudimentary and basic enchantment.

“It’s been a while since I renewed the enchantment on this,” Rumina said, handing Jennifer the flower.

Jennifer saw the fragile enchantment, made ages ago by herself, when she’d barely gained her [Enchanter] class.

Jennifer brushed the flower, repairing and improving the enchantment on the little thing. The petals had slowly but surely wrinkled up over time, as the flower barely hung on to it’s form now.

Jennifer reached out to her Mark, feeling her new ability from within. Closing her eyes, she reached for the voice that had called her from within her mark, and tried to gather the magic from within.

A fickle flow spread from her mark, as her soul strained, sending a pulse of pain. Jennifer pushed on, as faint motes of mana spread through the flower. She saw Rumina’s eyes widen as the almost dying flower began to brighten up, it’s petals refreshing itself, as time began to turn back.

Jennifer felt her magic snap, the link fading as she quickly set another enchantment in place, on the little flower.

“Did you just… reverse time?” Rumina asked, and Jennifer opened her eyes, as she stared at the flower in her hand.

“I think… so. It felt right. I’m not sure how I did it, it just felt right,” Jennifer said, staring at the white petals as they shone with a blue lustre from her spell.

Jennifer turned towards Rumina. A long needed talk with a friend awaited her.